Tower of Prosforion
Ouranoupolis was settled by refugees from Asia Minor in 1922–23, when the Greek state expropriated the land from Vatopedi Monastery on Mt. Athos. The settlement, known as Prosforion, was until then occupied by farming monks, some of whom lived in the Byzantine Tower of Prosforion, its origins dating from the 12th century. The tower subsequently became the abode of Joice and Sydney Loch, a couple who worked with Thessaloniki's noted American Farm School to help the refugees develop their rug-weaving industry. The tower was burned, altered, and restored through the centuries. Now it's a breezy and open place to take in the view on a sweltering day. Take a lovely 6-km (4-mile) hike to the Zygou Monastery. Now in ruins, it can be explored in its entirety and is a fine example of a Byzantine monastery unique to Mt. Athos.
